Boat from Ierapetra · 15 km Chrissi Island
A protected, uninhabited islet of juniper forest and shell-white shoreline, seen on a swim-stop cruise across turquoise water.
Lassithi · Eastern Crete
Vai Palm Forest
Europe's largest natural palm grove
The place
Vai, on the far eastern side of Crete, is a wide sandy beach backed by the largest natural palm forest in Europe — thousands of Cretan date palms (Phoenix theophrasti), a species native to the island.
The grove is protected, so you admire it from marked paths and viewpoints rather than walking among the trees. Against the palms and the pale sand, the sea is a vivid blue-green; it feels far more tropical than Mediterranean.
It's the furthest of these outings and makes a full day, often combined with the palm-lined coves nearby and a stop in the east-coast villages on the way.
